Shloka 25

अन्धकार-रजःसंमूढे रणाङ्गणे प्रदीपप्रकाशः | Illumination of the Army in Darkness and Dust

Devanagari script

तावन्योन्यं शरैर्भित्त्वा स्वर्णपुड्खै: शिलाशितै: । व्यभ्राजेतां यथा मेघौ संस्यूतौ सूर्यरश्मिभि:,वे दोनों एक-दूसरेको शिलापर तेज किये हुए सुवर्णपंखयुक्त बाणोंद्वारा क्षत-विक्षत करके सूर्यकी किरणोंमें पिरोये हुए बादलोंके समान सुशोभित होने लगे

Transliteration

tāv anyonyaṃ śarair bhittvā svarṇapuḍkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ | vyabhrājetāṃ yathā meghau saṃsyūtau sūryaraśmibhiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Having pierced and torn one another with arrows whose golden fletchings gleamed and whose points were whetted on stone, the two warriors shone forth—like clouds threaded through with the sun’s rays.

Word by Word

तौthose two

अन्योन्यम्each other (mutually)

शरैःwith arrows

भित्त्वाhaving pierced / having wounded

स्वर्णपुड्खैःwith gold-feathered (arrows)

शिलाशितैःsharpened on stone

व्यभ्राजेताम्they two shone forth / appeared splendid

यथाas / like

मेघौtwo clouds

संस्यूतौinterwoven / threaded together

सूर्यरश्मिभिःby the sun’s rays

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

arrows (śara)

sun (sūrya)

sunrays (sūryaraśmi)

clouds (megha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical tension: martial glory can appear radiant and admirable, yet it is inseparable from mutual wounding. It invites reflection on how aesthetic admiration of battle can obscure its human cost.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two opposing warriors in close combat, each striking the other with stone-sharpened, gold-fletched arrows. Though injured, they appear resplendent, compared to clouds lit and interwoven by sunlight.